In elementary school, we’re inundated with the mantra that there is no such thing as a stupid question. I tend to believe this is only half right. There are really two types of questions: those that are legitimately inquisitive and those that prolong forced, superficial and slightly awkward conversation – the stupid ones.
As college students, I believe we face the latter questions more often than any demographic. Adults, in particular, seem to be fascinated with people our age, and like to flood us with questions on where we go to school, why we chose it and what we do while we’re there. Perhaps they’re looking to relive their college days, or simply for a segue into “When I was in college -” These questions, contrived and trivial though they are, have made me understand that Northwestern maintains a unique, complex and sometimes peculiar existence among the college universe.
The most common question I’m asked by far is “Why did you decide to go to Northwestern?” Although after a while, I realized I could not give a distinct answer to this question. For a school with such a wide array of specialties, answers to this question lack personal or university-wide consistency. This is not to say that there are no good reasons to attend NU, simply that it’s difficult to isolate one. As a result, I’ve began to resort to being a wiseass by responding “I’m a fan of misleading cardinal directions,” or “I just wanted to be near Skokie.”
Perhaps it’s not so much that quantifying reasons for going to NU are uniquely complex but that reasons for attending other schools are unusually simple. Growing up in Hartford, Conn., I lived between Harvard, Yale and Brown, a veritable Bermuda triangle of Ivy League conceit. Such schools like to believe that they are beyond the question of “Why?” The sole reason students would want to attend such schools is because they are named Harvard, Yale and Brown. No questions asked.
Over the summer another question I’m frequently asked is: “When do you go back to school?” Most are shocked to learn that it’s not until the end of September. When I’m bumming around my hometown on Labor Day weekend, most people I run into are confused to see that I’m not in school. Rumors circulate that I’ve dropped out. Occasionally my wiseassness returns, and if someone asks me why I’m not in school, I’ll yell “Oh crap! I knew I was forgetting something!” and leap into the nearest cab.
But the question that trumps them all is “What’s the deal with the quarter system?” To those unfamiliar with NU, the quarter system carries a level of conceptual difficulty on par with Einstein’s theory of relativity. An explanation typically requires a white-board and an abacus.
As you can see, seemingly stupid questions can offer great insight. The next time you’re asked such a question about your college life, take a moment to reflect on what your answer says about your alma mater, and how unique your undergraduate existence is.
And don’t be afraid to be a wiseass.
Mike Platt is a Weinberg senior. He can be reached at [email protected].
